There’s a lot to working safely from ladders. It’s a little like trying to teach someone to golf. It’s almost impossible to keep everything in mind at once, unless you’re a pro. Considering the dangers of climbing ladders to clean your own gutters, you might think it’s better just to leave your gutters full. Unfortunately, this isn’t a good idea either.
You need to clean your gutters, particularly before winter, because they don’t allow water to discharge into and out through the downspouts. Instead, the ice and snow builds up on your home or office roof. Under the snow and ice, the heat from inside your home or office defrosts some of the lower layer of snow and ice. If the gutters are full, the moisture released by this defrosting process has no where to go but in.
By in, we mean that the water backs up under the shingles. Serious damage can be done to the wood sheeting and framing under your roof if you don’t clean your gutters. In other words, it’s essential to have your gutters cleaned with winter’s approach. This is all the more the case since winter is preceded by autumn, the season known for falling leaves, many of which, inevitably, land in your gutters.
Obviously, the solution is to bring in a professional to clean your gutters. There are a lot of people advertising as professionals and offering to clean your gutters. Some of these are people with little more experience on ladders than you may have. They simply saw this as a way to make some cash. So how do you determine who to hire.
A true professional has experience. They’ve cleaned the gutters on many houses and offices before. They know what they’re doing. They know how to work safely from a ladder. They’ll have the right equipment on hand to begin with. They’ll also know enough not to do a job, such as cleaning gutters, without proper insurance and bonding.
With professionalism will come attention to detail. The pros will clean the leaves, twigs and that disgusting sludge from your gutters in a way that leaves no doubt they’ve done this before. They’ll test the downspouts to ensure they’re clear. They’ll test for leaks and other problems.
Hiring a professional is well worth the cost. While they safely clean your gutters, you can devote that time to other pursuits.
